About School Cafeteria
Private and Public School cafeterias are defined as food facilities in the California Retail Food Code (CRFC) and are required to comply with CRFC requirements. The CRFC designates the local Health Officer as responsible for enforcing CRFC. Any School that provides food to students or faculty must obtain a Public Health Permit (PHP) to operate.
Existing school cafeterias are deemed in compliance with CRFC structural requirements until renovation of the facility or replacement of equipment.
All new or existing school food facilities that undergo modernization or remodeling shall comply with all structural requirements of CRFC.
- Public Schools: The Division of State Architect and the Health Officer shall review and approve all new and remodeled school facilities for compliance with all applicable requirements.
- Private School Authority: The local Building and Safety Department and the Health Officer shall review and approve all new and remodeled school facilities to ensure compliance with all applicable requirements.
The Camps and Schools Program conducts food safety inspections at school cafeterias to control the possible spread of infectious disease and to ensure adequate protections for students, staff, and cafeteria workers. School inspections are not graded.
The Program also helps Los Angeles County Schools meet the federal mandates of Section 111 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act. Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) must receive two food safety inspections from the state or local government agency responsible for food safety inspections per school year in order to receive reimbursement for expenses. This inspection requirement applies to all food preparation and service sites, and to service-only sites.
The Camps and Schools Program conducts food safety inspections in school cafeterias throughout Los Angeles County, except the cities of Pasadena, Long Beach, and Vernon, which have their health departments.
As found in California Health and Safety Code excerpt from the California Health and Safety Code, Article 2, Section 113789:
"Food facility" means an operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption at the retail level, including permanent and nonpermanent food facilities, but not limited to Public and Private School Cafeterias.
Report a Problem
School cafeteria complaints can be filed by calling Environmental Health at (888) 777-9995 or File a Complaint Online. DPH will not ask you about your immigration status and you can file a complaint anonymously.
Complaints can be reported to Environmental Health about:
- Dirty bathrooms without soap, water, toilet paper, and/or hand towels
- The presence of pests like rats, mice, flies and cockroaches
- Unsanitary food conditions and improper food handling
- Insufficient lighting in food storage and preparation areas
- Lack of hot and cold running water
Contact Us
For further information, contact the Camps and Schools Program at (626) 813-3428